Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and crime counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026.
Wilmington, North Carolina, in New Hanover County, has about 125,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Wilmington depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the North Carolina Public Records Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the city's records page, the sheriff's reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Wilmington public records, New Hanover County police reports, Wilmington arrest records, Wilmington warrants, Wilmington inmate search, Wilmington criminal records, North Carolina arrest records and North Carolina inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Wilmington
The report of an incident is released by the agency that took it; the court and the jail hold their own records of the same event, but not the report.
Inside Wilmington that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Wilmington Police Department); outside it, the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's agency list also places two state agencies, one campus police department and one other agency in New Hanover County, each with a records office of its own.
Reports from the Wilmington Police
For Wilmington, SearchSystems opened and checked the Wilmington police records page at wilmingtonnc.gov/departments/police-department/policing-services/ad... (page title: Wilmington, NC), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
The agency that reports for Wilmington had 518 violent and 3,724 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 2,952 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office
The New Hanover County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 203 violent and 1,167 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 1,294 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its jail page, at p2c.nhcgov.com/p2c/jailinmates.aspx (page title: New Hanover Sheriff's Office P2C), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
What the North Carolina Public Records Act Requires
Under the North Carolina Public Records Act the agency must answer a request as promptly as possible; the statute sets no number of days, and it may charge the actual cost of copying. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
Any other county record goes through the county records request page SearchSystems verified, at nhcgov.com/193/Information-Requests (page title: Information Requests | New Hanover County, NC).
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the District Attorney, (910) 772-6600, handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Wilmington?
From the agency that took it. The Wilmington police records page is at wilmingtonnc.gov; the sheriff's reports come from the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Wilmington have to answer?
Under the North Carolina Public Records Act, as promptly as possible; the statute sets no number of days. It may charge the actual cost of copying.
How do I get a report from the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the North Carolina Public Records Act the answer is due as promptly as possible; the statute sets no number of days.
Is this the official Wilmington website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.